Beckham v. Commonwealth

Opinion of the Court by

Justice MINTON.

A circuit court jury convicted Rodney Douglas Beckham of murder and of being a first-degree persistent felony offender (PFOl). The trial court sentenced Beck-ham to life imprisonment. He appeals to this Court as a matter of right,1 raising two issues. First, Beckham contends that the trial court erred by denying his motion to suppress incriminating statements he made to police during a lengthy interrogation process that preceded Miranda2 warnings. Second, he contends that the trial court violated his Sixth Amendment right to counsel by prohibiting him…